Apparatus for creating flow of dirt-laden fluid.



I. H. SPENCER.

APPARATUS FOR CREATING FLOW 0F DIRT LADEN FL lJlD.

APPLICATION 111.150 FEB. 13. 1911.

1 146,602.. Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- I I L- 1.

IVITNESSES: [.VVE/VTOR. 9 161 I. H.1SPENCER.

APPARATUS FOR CREATING FLOW 0F DIRT LADEN FLUID. APPLICATION. FI LED FEB. 13, 1911.

1,146,602. I I PatentedJflly13,19l5.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- A T RNEY.

I I f w 1 UNITED STATES PATENT .orrron.

IRA nfsrmronn, F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO TH E SPENCER-TURBINE CLEANER COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

Application filed February 13, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA'H. SrnNcER, a

. citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Creating Flow of Dirt-Laden Fluid, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to the class of devices for producing flow of fluids and especially to devices for creating flow of fluid that is laden to a greater or lesser extent with more or less solid material, and an object of my invention, among others, is to provide a device of this class in which the .dirt laden fluid may pass through the deviize without impairing its action or durabi it 01 1b form of device in the use of which the objects sought may be attained is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which.

Figure 1 is a view in central vertical section through an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view in cross section through the same on plane denoted by dotted line 2, 2 of Fig. 1. L

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a shell composed of sections 6 preferably circular in form andresting one upon the other, the edges of the sections being provided with interengaging parts to prevent lateral movement of one section upon the other, these resting upon a base section 7 and the whole being secured together as by means of 'bolts 8 passing through a flange in the base and through a cap 9 located upon the top section. A motor 10 of any improved form of construction is located upon the cap 9 and has a shaft 11 vertically disposed" and connected with a' main shaft 12 vertically arranged within the shell, the lower end of the shaft being.

located within and supported by a bearing 13 of any suitable form of construction. The top section 14 of the shell is of dish shape having a bottom 15 closin this end of the chamber within the shell. rib 16 rises from the bottom 15 and within this rib an inlet passage 17 extends horizontally to about the center of the shell where it turns abruptly through the bottom 15 opening into the chamber within the shell, the shaft 12 passing through the rib 16 forming the wallof the passage 17 Each of the sections Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Serial No. 608,258.

I have a central opening and within the fan chamber in each of the sections a series of fans 18- are located, these fans being secured to the shaft 12 in any suitable manner, in the form shown a plate 19 secured to a hub 20 fast upon the shaft being employed to receive the fans, each blade having an offset heel 21 projecting into the central opening into the fan chambers.

A diffusing plate 22 is located Within each of the compartments in each of the shell sections, these diffusing plates in fact form ing one wall of the fan chambers Diffusing vanes 23 are located at suitableaintervals upon the plates 22 and between it and a,

the bottom 24 of the adjoining shell section, belng secured in any suitable manner, these -difl'using vanes being located tangentially with respect to the disk 19 and extending preferably in a curved line asshown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The shaft 12 passes through each of the diffusing plates that are suitably packed-as shown at 25 against the flow of fluid at this point.

The device herein illustrated and described is intended for use with fluid more or less laden with solid material, and in order to aid the flow of such matter, the shell is vertically arranged so that the material, together with the air currents will pass from the top to the bottom. In order to create the necessary pressure within the shell to eflect a proper flow the air or other fluid is thrown outward by the centrifugal action of the fans to the wall of the shell from which point it travels inward to a central'opening where it again encounters a fan and the action is repeated, the fluid in each of thesucceeding chambers being raised to a greater pressure than that in the, next ings in order to produce the proper flow of This funnel I material through the device. may be a plate located within each section and joined to the bottom 24, the joined edge forming the Wall of the central opening 27.

material to a In the operation of the device a suitable conducting tube being connected to the inlet passage 17 and the motor being in operation, the suction created within the shell formed by the sections 6 causes a flow of air inward at the passage 17 This air ladenwith solid greater or lesser degree is caught by the heels 21 of the fan blades 18 and is whirled rapidly outward by centrifugal action passing through the spaces between the diffusing vanes 23 that to a great extent stop the whirling circular motion of the air which now travels from the space between the outer edges of the diffusing vanes and the shell toward the central openings 21' The solid matter mixed with the fluid currents is caused to pass along the walls of My improved apparatus is found to be especially applicable in devices for moving air currents ion the purpose of suction cleaning, as it is ffio'und that all of the material picked up by itheg'air currents in the :cleaning of public buildings, conveyances and the like may be readily carried through the ma-- chine, the construction of which is such as to resist any injury.

While I have-shown and described hereinone form of apparatus embodying my invention, the invention may be present in structures differing from that herein shown and Ido not, therefore, limit myself to the embodiment of the invention in an. apparatus as exactly herein shown and described.

a I claim 1, Inan apparatus of the class described, a shell, a shaft vertically mounted in the shell, means for rotating the shaft, a num- -ber of fan blades secured to said shaft, a

chamber inclosing each-of the sets of blades by walls extending along the side edges.

thereof whereby material is forced off at the ends of the blades, a funnel sha ed surface disposed to receive flow delivere from said blades and to permit the action of gravity as an assistance in conducting said flow downward to the opening at the center of the shell about the shaft, and the wall of the fan chamber constituting the top of a funnel sha ed chamber unobstructed as to its top and tom walls.

2. In an apparatus of the class described,

a shell, a shaft vertically mounted in the shell, means for rotating the shaft, a disk secured to the shaft, a number of fanblades, each blade being secured along one edge'to said disk and-the other traveling in close and 'a funnelshaped surface disposed to receive flow delivered from said blades, said funnel shaped surface extending downwardlyfrom the point of delivery of mat' terthereto to the center of the shell, said surface being arranged to permit'the action of gravity as an assistance to said flow to the opening at the center of the shell, the top wall of said funnel shaped chamber being fiat and constituting one of the parallel wallsof the fan chamber.

3. In an apparatus of'the class described a shell composed of sections, each section having a funnel sha ed wall flaring upwardly and outwardly and with a diaphragm extending at right angles to the axis of the section with a contracted-opening formed at the junction of said diaphragm and said funnel shaped wall, a diaphragm extending across the mouth of the chamber formed by said funnel shaped wall,

fans located between said diaphragms, a

shaft extending through the section, and means about the shaft for preventing flow of. air at that point.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a shell, a shaft vertically mounted in the shell, means for rotatin the shaft, fan blades secured to said sha t in sets, a funnel locatedunderneath each of the sets of fan blades and arranged to permit the action of gravity as an assistance to flow to the contracted opening of the funnel, and a diffusing plate forming one wall of a fan chamber and partially closing the enlarged end of said funnel, said difiusin plate being smaller in size than the mout of the funnel whereby a passage is left into the funnel around the'edge of the diffusing plate.

5. In an apparatus of-the class described,

a shell, a shaft vertically mounted in the.

shell, means for rotatingtheshaft, a diaphragm having anopening at its center and forming one wall of a fan chamber with an opening at its center, a second diaphragm forming the opposite wall of the fan chamher, fan blades secured to the shaft within the fan chamber and a funnel shaped surface disposed to receive flow delivered from said blades and to permit the action of gravityas an assistance to said flow downwardly within said shell.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a shell, a shaft verticall mounted in the shell, means for rotating t e shaft, a number of fan bladessecured to said shaft, said bladesbeingarranged insets, a funnel lo- I cated underneath each set of blades, with its small end opening downwardly, said funnel being arranged to permit the action of grav- I ity as an assistance to flow to the outlet from the funnel, a diffusing plate partially closing the mouth of the funnel and smaller, in

size than said mouth whereby a passage is left about the edged the diffusing plate located in the space between the ends of the into the mouth of the funnel, said difl'using fan blades and the outer edge of the diflusplate forming one Wall of a chamber in ing plate.

which a set of fan blades is located, the pe- IRA H. SPENCER. 5 riphery of the circle defined by the outer Witnesses: edge of the fan blades being less in size than ARTHUR B. JENKINS,

. the diffusing plate, and diffusing vanes MAY C. CARROLL. 

